No offense Cal-USC, but Stanford-UCLA is Bay Area's marquee matchup

The game of the year in the Bay Area is finally here, with the marauders from down south in town for a showdown packed with conference title and postseason implications.

But let's not forget Saturday's other local game, because Cal-USC is important, too.

OK, so maybe UCLA's visit to Stanford Stadium doesn't have quite the star power, or generate as much interest nationally as the tangle in Berkeley, but it carries more than its share of significance.

After all, Stanford, not Cal, sits atop the conference standings.

UCLA, not USC, is undefeated.

And Stanford's Toby Gerhart, not Cal's Jahvid Best or USC's Joe McKnight, leads the league in rushing. Whether your preference is Cardinal or Blue, there's no doubt that this is a monumental weekend for the local duo — one that could push both teams closer to long-sought goals, or set the stage for disappointment down the road.

After the worst loss of the Jeff Tedford era, a 39-point pulverizing at Oregon, the Bears (3-1) must beat USC to keep pace in the Rose Bowl race.

A loss Saturday would drop them two games out in the loss column and cede the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage to USC (if it even comes to that). It would also awaken the demons of past Cal collapses.

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Meanwhile, after one of the finest wins of the Jim Harbaugh era, a 20-point smothering of Washington, the Cardinal (3-1) is alone in first place with a manageable October schedule.

A victory Saturday would give Stanford one of the most coveted commodities in college football: Margin for error.

The Cardinal would need just two wins in its final seven games to become bowl eligible.

Yes, the schedule has been favorable — Stanford's first four opponents are a combined 6-10. But with the exception of the second half at Wake Forest, the Cardinal has taken advantage, which is all it can do and much more than it has done in the past, oh, seven years.

Other news and notes on the L.A. invasion:

This is not the first time USC and UCLA have visited the Bay Area on the same Saturday. They did it three years ago, with USC hammering Stanford and Cal thumping UCLA — and, best we can tell, no Bruin-Trojan brouhahas on Fisherman's Wharf.

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince, who broke his jaw two weeks ago at Tennessee, is not expected to play. Instead the Bruins will start senior Kevin Craft, who carved up the Cardinal last season with 285 yards and two touchdowns.

USC safety Taylor Mays, arguably the best player in the conference, returned to the lineup against Washington State and had four tackles. But Mays wore a brace to protect his sprained right knee. "It was a little tough to go to my left — I don't know if it was mental or physical," he told the L.A. Times.

The Cal game is sold out. Stanford has tickets available. If you're interested in doubleheader viewing: Stanford starts at 12:30, Cal at 5 and both games are on ABC.